


In a bed of crystal roses

by BlackRoseMii



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Established Relationship, It's gonna be sad, M/M, Witch AU, no good ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:16:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27178442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackRoseMii/pseuds/BlackRoseMii
Summary: Kirito and Eugeo had met during an exchange program of their schools. One where the students are supposed to learn about other covens and their magic. And besides that, the two boys also fell in love with each other. But there was a generation old law forbidding two witches from different covens to be in a relationship. So what would happen if they were to be caught?
Relationships: Eugeo/Kirigaya Kazuto | Kirito
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	1. Caught

**Author's Note:**

> I had the sudden urge to write something without a good end and I finally got the time to do so. Hope you can enjoy it though^^

„These roses are a part of me,“ the blonde said, handing him a bouquet of blue roses.

They glittered in the evening light, almost shining as if they had a light of their own. They weren't just simple roses and couldn't be bought at just any flower shop. No, they were made of ice, a kind of witchcraft unique to the boy.

When Kirito took them, he tried to be as careful as possible, making sure not to damage the delicate petals. They didn't have a scent, yet the black haired boy raised them up to his nose out of habit. The he smiled and pulled them closer to his chest as his date continued his explanation.

„They won't melt or wilt as long as I'm alive. That way you will always have a part of me with you.“

„But I don't have anything for you.“

Eugeo shook his head and smiled.

„You've given me so much already. I should be the one giving back more.“

Ever since his childhood friend had vanished, Eugeo had isolated himself from the other witches in his coven and even from other humans. Only after he met Kirito during an exchange program of their schools was he able to open up. He was still a little awkward around others, but as long as Kirito was there, he knew he could face any hardship.

They were able to become friends so easily, it was no surprise that they confesses their love soon after.

However, their happiness wasn't one they could share with the world. They were both in different covens and it was a century old rule that witches from different covens were not allowed to be in a relationship.

In the past, such a relationship brought one of the biggest war between witches, one where many lifes were lost.

But that was in the past. The modern witches weren't as secluded as they used to be. Laws like that should have been unnecessary by now. And yet, obeying the laws was something witches took pride in and as simple trainees neither of the boys was able to defy them.

But despite that, Kirito and Eugeo decided to break the laws when they spend the night together, giving each other the love only they could give.

The morning sun fell through the gap in the curtains, shining into Kiritos room and illuminating the soft blonde hair of his still sleeping partner. The black haired boy usually wasn't the first to wake up, but on this morning he was glad he did. That way, he could enjoy Eugeos sleeping face, his gentle features more relaxed than usual. Kirito tried to resist poking his cheek or else he'd wake him.

They would need to go seperate ways soon. The exchange program existed to give trainees the chance to expand their knowledge in witchcraft, but Eugeo had his own school with his own specialties. And since they were rather far away, visiting each other just like that was near impossible. So all they had was their phones and the little time they had left now.

* * *

„Could you give me the chamomile from the shelf up there?“ the girl asked.

The black haired boy didn't listen. He was staring out the window, lost in thought. So she had to repeat herself more forcefully.

„Kirito-kun, the chamomile!“

Again, no reation. The brunette had to walk over to him and spoke when she was just a centimeter away from his ear.

„Are you even listening to me?“

The boy jumped in surprise and fell down the windowsill, right unto his butt.

„A-Asuna? Why did you do that?“

„You weren't answering. I told you to get me the chamomile. We'll never get the potion done at this pace.“

„Ah, right. The potion,“ he said, scrambling to get back on his feet.

After he stood up, he walked over to the shelf with the herbs and took the first one he saw. Asuna watched him with furrowed brows.

„That's fennel. Chamomile is the daisy-looking plant.“

With a nod, Kirito switched the herbs and finally came back with the one they needed. As Asuna took them and carefully plugged the petals, she continued to speak.

„You've been pretty strange lately. As if your thoughts are somewhere else. Did something happen?“

The black haired boy hesitated for a second. Even though he could trust Asuna with his life, they were in school right now, so there was always the possibility of someone overhearing them.

„N-not really. I'm just not feeling well.“

The girl looked at him from the side, suspicion all over her face.

„Are you sure? If you need help, you can always talk to me.“

Kirito stayed silent. It was unsettling how well she could tell something was off.

Ever since he and Eugeo got together, he felt like anything he said or did could bust their secret. It wasn't specified what kind of punishment they would get, but he didn't want to risk it. He didn't want Eugeo to get hurt because of him, even if it meant taking all of the blame himself.

And so, Kirito couldn't answer her. Which gave Asuna the last hint that she was right.

She put down the herbs and went over to the window, where the boy had been before. She looked outside and saw a different class being tutored outside. There were also a few people from the exchange program, including Eugeo.

„You were watching him, weren't you?“

„W-watching who?“ he stuttered.

„The boy from Rulid. What was his name again, Eugeo? You've been spending a lot of time with him recently.“

Kirito knew where this was going.

„Could it be that you have a crush on-“

The black haired boy silenced her by putting his finger on her lips. Then he came closer to her and whispered with a panicked expression on his face.

„Don't say it. If people would find out about us, we'd be gone.“

„So you two are already...?“ she whispered back.

Kirito nodded.

„Do you even know in what kind of trouble you'll get in? This isn't like one of your experiments. You won't just get away with some detention!“

„I know, I know. That's why you have to keep it a secret.“

„Who knows what Kikuoka is going to do with you. Or what his coven is going to do with him.“

„If we're really going to be caught I'll take all the blame. You know that Kikuoka goes easy on me.“

Asuna hesitated, thinking about what she should do. In the end, she sighs.

„Okay, I'll trust you. But please make sure to keep it from the others. I don't want to see you hurt.“

Slowly, his smile came back and out of relief, he wrapped his arms around her.

„Thank you Asuna, you're the best,“ he said, squeezing her tightly.

„You know that I still owe you for helping me with Yuuki.“

* * *

It was dark when he arrived at the park. They had make up an excuse that Eugeo would help him practice elemental magic, but in truth, they planned on meeting up for another date. Though they would probably end up practicing a little after all.

When their eyes met, both of them had a smile on their face. During the day, they were only able to act like friends, but during the night, when most people were already sleeping, they were able to treat each other like lovers.

Before Kirito was able to say anything, the blonde took his hand and pulled him closer. The other hand cupping his cheek, he closed the gap quickly and kissed him. It took the black haired boy by surprise.

„What if someone saw this?“ he said in a hushed voice.

„Don't worry, I put up a barrier.“

His smile reassured Kirito and now that he was feeling safer, he went in for another kiss.

They spend their evening together, always making sure to stay within the barrier that would lead anyone who came too close to it away from them. It wasn't a particularly difficult spell, but it was still rather advanced. Kirito wondered when he had learned it.

He trusted Eugeos ability to learn extremely fast, but there was still the worry that it wasn't executed properly. And despite his best efforts to ignore it, it stayed in the back of his mind.

Perhaps he should have listened to it.

* * *

It was on the next day. The last class had just finished and Kirito and his friends were heading back to the dorm. Eugeo tagged along, already having been fully welcomed into the group. It was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon, but as soon as they saw Kikuoka waiting for them at the entrance of the dorm, they realized something was off.

Usually, when Kirito had gotten into trouble again, it was one of the teachers waiting for him. If they didn't get him during classes. But this time, the leader of their coven himself was there. And his face didn't look like it was just a little mischief that Kirito would get punished for.

He and Eugeo looked at each other at the same time, both having the same horrible realization.

They must have been caught.

„I guess you know why you're here, right?“ the man spoke after leading the two boys into his office.

„N-no?“ the black haired boy lied.

Kikuoka sighed in annoyance and continued.

„You two have been seen meeting up at night. And it didn't look like it was a meeting between just friends. Anything to say to that?“

The boys stayed silent, looking down at their feet.

„Look, I can understand if you guys find each other attractive. Even a little crush os okay, we've all been there. But you should remember the witches laws. You shouldn't let your relationship develop any further than that.“

He paused and continued in a more sympathetic voice.

„I'm giving you another chance. If you two promise me you will end this here, I won't inform the others. Eugeo will have to go back to his coven soon anyway.“

The shock of hearing his proposal took all the words out of the boys. It was surprising to hear a deal where they could get away unpunished, but they were more horrified than relieved.

Both of them knew their choice was objectively wrong, but their love for each other was stronger than that.

They looked at each other with determination in their eyes and held hands as Kirito answered.

„No.“

Kikuoka stayed silent and looked at them with pity. Then, after a long while, he spoke again.

„Then that's all I can do for you. Kirito, you'll be grounded until we've chosen your punishment. Eugeo, you will go back to Rulid immediately. Your leader will choose a punishment for you. And neither of you is allowed to contact each other again.“


	2. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugeo and Kirito were caught. Now it was up to their covens leaders to decide their fate. But while Kikuoka seems to go easy on Kirito, Quinella, the leader of Eugeos coven, has other methods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I'm actually writing this in my phone (and later copy it on my computer) I have a lot more time to write, so updated will be much more frequent.

This was the worst outcome. Eugeo was send back before the others and Kirito was locked up in his dormroom. His friends may talk to him through his door, but it was different. He loved his friends, but his only lover would always be Eugeo.

Sighing, the black haired boy lay on his bed and turned his head towards the nightstand next to him. Even in the bright light of noon, the roses Eugeo left were shining with a calming glow. Kirito went over to them and carefully brushed their petals. They were cold as ice, but still soft like a real flower. He remembered the day he got them and the night they spend together afterwards.

It was as if the blonde had known they would be seperated at one point. But the flowers weren't enough to get rid of Kiritos longing. He wanted to hold him, kiss him and whispter sweet nothings. It was a little embarrassing to admit, but everything he thought was cheesy before is what he wanted to do with him now. But in the end, they didn't even decide on each others pet names.

Kirito let himself fall sideways on the bed, his eyes always on the crystal roses.

* * *

The corridor was barely lit and it was difficult to see where he was even going. But the small man in front of him knew his way well enough that he could walk around with his eyes closed. Creepy, considering these were the personal rooms of his covens leader.

While they were walking down the endless room, Chudelkin mumbled something the blonde couldn't fully hear. But from his tone he seemed to be complaining about something.

„To think that someone from our noble coven would do such a thing. Do you even know what this does to our reputation? I really hope the lady gives you the worst possible punishment.“

He continued, but Eugeo stopped listening a long time ago.

At some point, they reached a giant door. It was decorated with detailed images which were supposed to represent his covens history. The little man knocked on it as loud as he could and spoke.

„My lady, the boy is here now.“

He waited until a smooth voice answered.

„Bring him inside.“

With a lot of effort, Chudelkin pushed the giant doors open. The room beyond was slightly brighter, but all of the curtains were closed. The furniture was dark and heavy, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. Only the low light of the chandelier illuminated the place.

At the end of the room, a woman with long, pale purple hair was waiting for them. As beautiful as she was, Eugeo knew she had a reputation of being a particular cruel witch.

He was lead into the center of the room and after an exagerated bow, the little man went out and left the two alone.

The silence was making him more nervous than he already was.

„This is the first time you are visiting me, correct? Not many witches get to meet me, let alone humans. You should be honored.“

Quinella was one of the very few witches that had achieved immortality. As such, she has also gained quite an ego. She was powerful, beautiful and influential. The witches in her coven were all talented and she wouldn't accept anything else.

She was a fearful person, but honor wasn't what Eugeo was feeling. He was frozen due to her sheer presence and the power she had over her subjects.

The boy swallowed as he nodded. It was a lie, but for now, he'd have to play along.

„I heard what happend during your stay in Aincrad. For some third-rate witches, there seemed to be at least one who caught the interest of such a talented witch like you. Quite impressive, really. I hope you have enjoyed yourself.“

She took a step forward, stopping right before the blonde and tilting his head upwards, forcing him to look at her. Despite the graveness of the situation, her face remained soft. And yet, in her eyes was a spark of something a lot darker. It was difficult to look at her.

„But was it worth it? You know our laws. A romantic relationship with someone from a different coven is strictly forbidden. I hope you know this.“

He nodded again and he look grew colder.

„So you knowingly went against our laws. Would you like to explain yourself?“

A dark smile formed on her lips.

„Depending on what you say, I might lessen your punishment.“

This was a trap, he knew that. His own punishment was already decided. The one she really meant was Kirito. She had enough influence to interfere with another coven after all.

But Eugeo had decided a long time ago. The moment he had confessed his love to Kirito, he would take all the blame if they were found out.

He took a deep breath to calm his heart before he answered with a steady voice, looking directly into her eyes.

„It's entirely my fault. I was the one who seduced Kirito. He did nothing wrong.“

Waiting for her answer was like being taken to the guillotine. Her smile widened and she announced his punishment.

* * *

Kirito opened his eyes when the late afternoon sun shined directly into his face. He groaned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. With a long yawn, he stretched himself until he heard his bones crack. He made a mental note not to fall asleep half sitting like that again.

He looked around his room and his eyes stopped at the roses. At first, it didn't look like anything had changed, but after a closer look, he saw cracks in the petals. He reached out to them, but before he could touch them more cracks appeared until all of the roses fell apart and left shards of ice on the small table. It didn't take long for them to dissappear as well.

_These roses are a part of me. They won't melt or wilt as long as I'm alive._

That was what Eugeo said as he gave them to him. The roses should be okay. The should stay forever, no matter how far apart they were. They were Eugeos masterpiece, a creation he put his very lifeforce into. So why would they break so easily? Did something happen to him?

Kirito went through all possibilities, but he always came back to the same conclusion.

Was Eugeos punishment death?

The thought of that made the black haired boy panic. With each passing second, his breathing became more shallow and rushed until his mind became blurry.

It couldn't be, it had to be a bad dream. He knew that his coven was a lot stricter than his, but they wouldn't actually kill him, would they?

He didn't know what to do, he didn't want to think anymore. All he wanted right now was to know Eugeo was alright.

The black haired boy jumped up and headed towards the door. He unlocked it and ran down the hallways, out of the dorm and towards the school where Kikuokas office was. He ignored the people around him and when he reached the office, he didn't even knock before throwing the door open.

Kikuoka seemed surprised when he saw him standing there, completely out of breath and unable to speak. Then, after a while, he put his phone down and fully turned towards the boy. His face looking like he was going to apologize.

„What happend to Eugeo?“ the boy asked once he regained the ability to speak.

Kikuoka hesitated and his face turned dark when he answered.

„I just heard of your friends punishment. Maybe it would be best if you don't-“

„What happend to Eugeo?!“ he repeated more forcefully.

„They decided to...execute him.“

This wasn't what Kirito wanted to hear. He wanted to hear he was alright, that Kikuoka was just joking. He wanted the nightmare to end and to wake up in the arms of his lover. In a world where it was okay for them to be together.

But this wasn't a dream and the man didn't look like he was joking either. It was real.

„No.“ he muttered as Kirito fell to his knees.

He barely noticed that Kikuoka had made his way towards him, kneeling down as well and trying to tell him something. But all Kirito was able to do was to mumble „No“ again and again.

His vision became blurry as the tears started falling and he curled up, trying to make himself as small as possible. At some point his rapid breathing made him pass out.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself back in his dormroom. Even though it was dark and quiet, his awful headache felt like it would split his skull open. His entire body felt like lead and he didn't want to get up. He stayed like this for a little longer, trying to remember what happend before he woke up.

Kikuoka had told him that Eugeo was killed by his coven. But it couldn't be. It had to be a nightmare and Kirito had just woken up. He would turn around and find the crystal roses still shining next to him. He would be able to call Eugeo whenever he wanted to.

Slowly, as not to worsen his headache, he turned towards his right to make sure he was finally awake from the nightmare. But his hope was crushed when he found the vase with Eugeos roses empty.

He rushed to sit up, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. He realized that his eyes were still swollen and hurt when he touched them.

But no matter what he did, the flowers didn't come back. It wasn't a dream. It was real. And there was nothing he could do to change it. He had to accept that the love of his life was gone forever. This must have been his punishment.

Tears started falling down again, ignoring the burning in his eyes. He curled up and let out quiet sobs.

He had lost his sense of time when someone knocked on his door. When he didn't answer, the person spoke.

„Brother, can I come in?“

Again, no answer from the boy. Eveything and anything was uninteresting to him now. He didn't care anymore.

The door opened and the one who entered was Suguha. Her face showed that she knew about Eugeos fate and if she knew, then perhaps the others did as well. It seemed like her eyes were red, but the black haired boy couldn't really tell. The room was still dark and his vision blurry.

It wasn't just him who mourned. They all were friends with him and losing a part of their group was like losing a part of themselves.

Without a word, she went over to her brother and sat down next to him. It looked like she was about to say something, but no words were coming out. In the end, she decided to wrap her arms around the boy and let him cry.

After a long while, Kirito was able to talk again.

„Why did they do this?“ he asked with a weak voice.

Suguha shook her head and answered.

„I don't know. Nobody does. I guess that's just how his coven does things.“

„Just killing off whoever doesn't play by their rules? Get rid of black sheep?“

The boys voice grew stronger, more desperate.

„We didn't even do anything bad! We didn't hurt anyone! All we wanted was to be happy together! Why are they treating it like a crime? Why did they-?“

Kiritos voice started breaking and his sobs made talking difficult. He needed a few more moments until the violent sobs faded away. When he was able to speak again, his voice was barely a whisper.

„Is it my fault?“

Suguha stopped stroking his hair and she took his shoulders, forcing him to look directly into her eyes. The way they glistered in the low light, it looked like there were tears in them.

„Don't say that! It's nobodies fault. We just live in a society with unfair rules. If you want to blame someone, blame the ones who made the rules.“

She was right. But how could one fight those that were already dead? And the ones currently on the top were too powerful for him.

This must have been how the war had started so many generations ago and why that rule was there in the first place. And the last thing Kirito wanted was to spill more blood. Eugeo wouldn't have wanted that either.

In the end the boy gave up and let himself fall back into his sisters arms.

This was truly his punishment.


	3. A spark of hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiritos punishment was to be isolated from his friends and family for a while. Until then, he had gotten a private teacher who didn't actually intend to teach him anything. There was just thing one book Kirito found and the new teacher let him study it to his hearts content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This current project I'm in really helps with catching up on my fics. I still have to type everything into my phone and then into the computer, but it's still better than to take forever for a single chapter. I just hope the quality won't suffer from this...

The clock was ticking in a steady rythm, each second passing by like and eternity. The boy had been sitting alone at his desk, waiting for the school bell to tell that it was time to leave for the rest of the students. Not that he could enjoy his free time though.

For one, he was still confined to his dormroom. The only other place he was allowed to visit was the school. And even there he was being isolated from his classmates.

The other reason was, that ever since Eugeo left the world, Kirito hadn't been able to enjoy anything. Everything around him felt dull and grey. Solitude was his punishment and it didn't help his current mental situation. All of his thoughts went to Eugeo and the moments they shared. At some point, he simply stopped thinking at all and just went with whatever the others told him.

That was how he ended up in this situation. He was waiting for whoever would be teaching him, now that he wasn't allowed to be in contact with anyone.

The bell rang and stopped soon after. The boy looked towards the door, but nothing happend. It took another 15 minutes until it opened and Kikuoka entered the room. The man greeted Kirito, although the boy didn't react. Another man followed and once they both stopped in front of the boy, Kikuoka spoke.

„Sorry for the wait, we had some problems getting here.“

No answer from the boy, but Kikuoka already expected that. So he continued.

„This is Kayaba Akihiko. You will be under his wing for a while. I hope you'll get along.“

The man in question came over to him, offering his hand. The black haired boy stood up and they shook hands as Kayaba spoke.

„It's nice to meet you Kirito. I've heard of your situation. My condolences.“

„Sure,“ was all he said, no emotion in his voice.

Kikuoka continued his explanation.

„You will assist Kayaba in his research. I'm not exactly sure what he's doing, so I can't prepare you for anything. Let's just hope he's not going to use you as a guinea pig.“

It was supposed to be a joke, but it sounded like there was genuine concern in his voice. Either way, Kirito didn't care. He just went with it.

„Well, I'll be going then. Make sure you guys avoid other people when you leave.“

And with that, he left the two alone.

The silence between them was suffocating. Kayaba was watching the boy closely and it was obvious he was thinking about what to do with him. He didn't look very threatening though. Kirito wondered why Kikuoka left them with such an ominous sentence.

After a while, the man finally spoke.

„How about we move to a different place? I don't feel very welcome here.“

Kirito nodded, took his things and followed him.

The route towards Kayabas 'lab' as he called it, was quite a long way from the school. Long enough for Kirito to wonder if he'd have to stay over.

At some point, they stopped at an inconspicious looking apartment. The inside didn't look much different. Nobody would think a witch would even live here. At least until the man opened the door to his study room.

He had to unlock the door and opened it slowly. Before he even took one step inside, a stack of books fell to his feet. He pushed them out of his way and entered the study room, the black haired boy followed.

His first impression about this place seemed to be wrong. While the rest of the apartment looked clean and tidy, this room was an absolute mess. Books were lying all over the floor, tools and materials were spread out and not stored properly. And on one side, several sheets of paper with all kinds of magic circles and recipes were pinned against the wall. It was a hazard in more ways than one.

Kirito realized that his main task would probably be to tidy up this room.

The man threw some of the books to the side as he made his way towards the equally messy desk. Once he arrived there, he turned around and started talking.

„As you can see, this place is pure chaos. I don't really mind myself, but Kikuoka said I should get help cleaning this up.“

So Kirito was right.

„It's not really important where the books are, but try to keep the materials over there the way they are. If we start now, we might be able to finish before it gets dark.“

With that said, the two started sorting out the mess. It wasn't as chaotic as it first looked like. The books seemed to have a certain system to them. Each stack or pile was about a similar topic, although sometimes a completely unrelated book was mixed between them.

But Kirito couldn't find out what Kayabas research topic even was. In the first place, if he was researching something that required so many materials, they would have given him his own office in the school. But here they were, in a small apartment in the middle of nowhere.

They didn't talk much besides the occasional question of where something belonged. Kirito thought things would stay like that until he found a particular shady looking book. It was dark, dusty and old, as if it was from centuries ago. And the weirdest thing was that it didn't have a title or anything that could tell him what it was about. It sparked his interest, something he hadn't felt for weeks now.

He attempted to open it when he felt a presence behind him and a sudden voice.

„So that's where it was.“

Startled, Kirito quickly turned around, looking up at Kayaba. With the light coming from behind him and the shadow over his face, he looked a lot more threatening now.

The man took the book and went back to his desk.

„I was looking for this the whole time. Maybe it's fate that you were the one to find it.“

The black haired boy stood up and turned towards Kayaba.

„What do you mean?“ he asked carefully.

The man hesitated a bit before talking. But instead of an answer, he gave him another question.

„You really don't know who I am, do you?“

Kirito shook his head.

„No wonder. Nobody would ever talk about exiled witches.“

„Exiled? What did you do?“

As an answer, he held up the book. The boy didn't know what he meant, so the man continued.

„Necromancy. That's what this book is about.“

Kirito had heard about it before. It was the highest taboo among witches. They barely learned anything about it, so the only thing he knew was that it used the souls of the dead to work.

„Maby years ago, I lost the love of my life to an unfair fate. I couldn't accept that, so I used my privileges as a high ranking witch to gether everything related to necromany. I intended on resurrecting her, despite knowing that it was a taboo. But I didn't care. I wanted to have her back. I'm sure you can understand that.“

He could. He could understand him all too well. If Kirito had the chance, he would do anything to get Eugeo back.

Anything.

Like necromancy.

That's when it finally clicked. The reason Kayaba brought him here wasn't to help him tidy up, it was so that Kirito would find the book. Or was it Kikuoka who planned this? Maybe the boy misinterpreted the situation after all and it was all just a coincidence.

No matter what, he couldn't let this chance go by.

Without a word, Kirito attempted to snatch the book out of his hands, but the man expected it and held it high above his head.

„Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have a single clue what it means to do necromancy,“ the man said while Kirito kept trying to get the book.

„I don't care! I have to get him back!“

Kayaba let him struggle a little longer until he finally shoved the book into the boys face.

„Don't come back telling me I didn't warn you. There will be no turning back once you've started.“

The black haired boy didn't listen and took the book. Without hesitation he opened it and was greeted with a text nearly impossible to read. Whoever wrote this must not have been in his right mind.

But even that didn't stop him. He'd just have to work a little harder.

Without looking up, the boy sat down on the floor, completely absorbed in the book. It wasn't an easy task, trying to decipher the awful handwriting.

At some point Kirito took a piece of paper and he pen he saw lying around and wrote down notes to help him.

Kayaba watched him in amusement before he spoke again.

„It'll take you months, if not years, to understand the whole thing. It's not just the writing, but there are also many different codes you'll have to decipher. If the author wanted everyone to read it, he wouldn't have written like that.“

He went over to the shelf he hadn't touched while they were cleaning. He gathered some notebooks and loose paper and put them down next to Kirito. The boy was startled and looked up, confusion all over his face.

„Why are you doing this?“

The man shrugged.

„Who knows. Maybe because you and I aren't so different. Or maybe I just want to see a fellow witch ruin his life. If you manage to keep it.“

The last sentence sounded more ominous than threatening, but it piqued Kiritos interest.

„What do you mean?“

The man smiled when he answered.

„To raise someone from the dead, you will have to give something of equal value. That could be either your own life or your sanity.“

„But you're obviously alive and you don't seem to be insane to me.“

The man let out a breathy laugh.

„Who says I'm still sane?“

Despite wanting to know more, Kirito was quiet and watched Kayaba closely. Nothing indicated that he had lost his mind. Besides the fact that he casually gives a desperate boy the possibility to raise the dead, even though it would kill him.

But the boy didn't complain. He had made up his mind and he would stick to it, no matter what.

And so, with a determined look on his face, he took the notes and studied them closely.

It would take him several weeks until he finally understood it all and over this time, the never exchanged another word with Kayaba.


	4. Crystal roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He has finally found a way to resurrect the love of his life and he's now ready to put his plan into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically the first multichapter fic I've ever finished, but I'm not really happy how it turned out.

It was a good thing his punishment was isolation from his friends, otherwise they would have all tried to stop him. But he was desperate and this was his only chance. Dying would be inconvenient, but if he lost his sanity he wouldn't mind. Kayaba was living well with it, too.

His room was slowly looking like that of the man. Paper and notes were spread out all over the floor and the materials he had gathered all ready to be used. All he had to do was to decipher the last few pages until he could finally get down to the main work.

So far he knew about the most important spells that had to be used, as well as the materials. For some reason, Kayaba had everything gathered already, as if he had known about it. But no matter how much Kirito wondered about his reasons, he never came to a conclusion. He was a mystery to him. At some point he just stopped thinking about it and just felt grateful.

But the most important material was something he had to get himself. In order to resurrect the right person, he needed something of them. At first, the boy thought about using the roses, but they were gone and Eugeo left nothing else behind.

He was this close to his goal, he couldn't stop here now.

Then he remembered something. He read that in astrology – Kiritos specialty – witches made use of the stars power to influence the future as well as the past, to a certain extend. If he were to summon even just one petal from the time Eugeo was alive, he might have the last piece he was still missing.

However, such a highly advanced spell was something her never attempted before. There was no guarantee it would work. A flower was considered a lifeless object, so it should be possible, but it was still tied to Eugeos lifeforce. And without him, the petal would vanish. He had just a small timeframe to complete the spell and revive his love before it would be gone.

And so, in the dead of the night, he completed his preparations and was finally ready.

He made sure to lock his door as tightly as possible and kept his window curtains closed. Only the low light of the lamp illuminated the room. If someone didn't know what was going on, they would definitely think he was trying to summon the devil. It wasn't that far off though. He was trying to summon someone from the afterlife after all.

But first, he had to summon one of the petals.

A common use for astrology was usually fortune telling. A practice where one could see into the future. Doin the opposite was possible, too, but much less used. As such, Kirito had never attempted it before. And summoning an object was all the more difficult.

He recited the spell and the small magic circle started to glow. He tried to imagine the petals, how they felt, how they looked and the smiling face Eugeo had when he gave them to him.

Slowly, the glow turned into a small ball, almost looking like a little star. It decreased in size and the glow started to become a solid shape. Bit by bit, the glow faded and a small blue petal fell into the boys hand. He actually managed to summon something from the past.

He sighed in relief, but it wouldn't last long. Without its source of life, the petal dissappeared into nothing again.

He knew it wouldn't work the first time, so he tried again. And again. And again.

But everything me tried, the petal would just fade away. He was already at his limit and he wasn't even sure if he'd be able to resurrect Eugeo with the little bit of energy left. Magic was draining, especially if it was something he hadn't done before.

One last time, he recited the spell and waited for the glow to appear. Just as the petal was about to materialize, he started the ritual that would bring back Eugeo. His voice was shaking and his mind became blurry. The lights turned off by themselves and only the small glow of the petalgave him any light.

He knew any kind of necromancy was difficul, even for an experienced witch. It didn't just drain his own energy, but the surrounding one as well. The magic circle was shining ominously. It might have been because Kirito was barely concious, but it looked like its glow was barely visible.

Soon, when the petal fell to the floor in the middle of the bigger circle, its glow spread over it and took the shape of a person. The black haired boy was relieved when he realized the magic finally worked and he would be able to the love of his life again.

Slowly, the glow faded and in the dim light shining through the curtains, the boy saw soft flaxen colored hair, fair skin and a gentle, familiar face. Together with the pure white shirt and pants he looked just like an angel.

Tears streamed down Kiritos face and he couldn't stop the smile on his face. As he went over to the blonde, Eugeo opened his eyes and sat up with a groan.

Kirito reached for his cheek and turned his face into his direction. His skin was ice cold, but his beautiful green eyes were shining with life.

„Kirito?“ the blonde asked.

The black haired boy couldn't contain his feelings any longer and jumped into Eugeos arms. He held him as tightly as he could when he spoke.

„I'm so glad you're back Eugeo. When I heard you were dead, I-“ Kirito couldn't continue because of his sobbing.

The blonde wrapped his arms around his lover and returned the hug.

„How am I alive?“

He gave Kirito a few more moments to answer. When his sobbing subsided, his voice was full of guilt.

„I,“ he started and swallowed. He knew Eugeo would scold him.

„I brought you back to life.“

„You used necromancy?“

Kirito nodded without saying anything. The blonde took a deep breath, as if he wanted to start his lecture, but instead of scolding Kirito, he hugged him tighter and hid his face in the crook of Kiritos neck.

„I'm sorry I left you alone.“

His voice was barely a whisper and it was shaking. It made Kiritos heart grow heavier and he shook his head.

„It was my fault for being too careless. We should have run away when we had the chance.“

There was a moment of silence until the black haired boy continued.

„You're not angry with me?“

„Why would I? If I was in your situation, I would have done the same.“

They broke their embrace and looked at each other with tears in their eyes and a smile on their faces.

„You're my everything Kirito. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you.“

„Even if it means dying?“

„Of course, how else do you think I ended up like this?“ he laughed, trying to lighten up the mood.

But rather than laughing along, Kirito was looking down, his face dark and his smile gone. Eugeo noticed this.

„Kirito?“

„This is going to be the last time we'll see each other. Even if you're here now, necromancy can't keep you alive forever. And...neither will it let me stay alive.“

Eugeos eyes widened when he realized what Kirito was trying to say.

„I've broken the biggest taboo and I will have to pay for it with my life. I don't know how much time I have left, so please, stay with me until the end.“

His eyes were pleading, but there was no regret in them. Even if it was an act of desperation, Kirito had thought about it and made up his mind. And Eugeo would make sure that his last moments were spend well.

The blonde wrapped his arms around his lover again and pulled him down to the floor with him. It startled Kirito, but he didn't resist. Instead, he held him tightly and went up to meet his lips. They shared a long soft kiss and hesitated to part when they needed to breathe again.

They smiled at each other, taking in all of the others features, as if they wanted to make sure they were the last thing the other saw. Then, the black haired boy hid his face inside Eugeos chest and listened to his heartbeat. It was steady and calm and there was no hint that it would stop soon.

As Eugeo petted Kiritos hair, the black haired boy spoke.

„I love you Eugeo.“

„I love you, too,“ the blonde answered.

They stayed like this in silence, making sure to enjoy each others company as much as possible.

The petal that Kirito used to summon him started to glow and slowly roses grew from them until they surrounded the two boys. Their shine illuminated the room in a pale blue light, glistering as if they were made out of the purest of ice, like precious crystals.

As the bed of roses grew, the two of them drew their last breath together, peacefully dying in the arms of the one they loved the most.


End file.
